Soap-making machinery



(No Model.) .4 r

R, F-REELAN-D.

' SOAP MAKING 'MACHINERY l Y vNo.2.59 ,84'2. 'PatentedJune'Zm 1882.

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WITNEEE- Mgm UNITED STATES PATENT Ormes.

ROBERT FREELAND, OF BOSTON, MSSACHUSETTS.

SOAP-MAKING MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION'forming part 4of Letters Patent No. 259,842, dated June 20, 1882.

Application filed January 3, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom 'it may concern: y

Be it known that I, ROBERT FREELAND, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Boston,in the county' of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Soap Making Machinery, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in and additions to that class of soap-makin g niachinery known as soap-miXersor crutchers,77 in which a central vertically-rotatin g shaft provided with suitable blades to act as mixers operates in conjunction withanuprightcylindrical tank or receptacle -for the ingredients used in processes ofsoapfmaking; and the objects of my improvements are, rst, to provide curved mixer-blades of such shape, and at the same time of simple construction, that when the shaft is revolved in the direction `of said curve a more perfect upward central current and downward exterior current of the said ingredients will be caused than by bladesof the ordinary construction, and that when the shaft is revolved in the opposite direction the cnrrentswill be reversed, th us obtaining a complete mixing or crutehing; second,to provide means.

third, to afford greater facilities for the draw` ing off of thick soaps after a boiling than as now givenby the use of a gate in the bottom; fourth, to afford means for the proper introduction of live steam and liquids into the soap itself in the process of boiling, and for the eduction of lye and other fluids from the bottom of the machine and,f1fth, asteam or water jacketed bottom and sides of simple construetion, as herein to be described.

The' main objects of the invention, as a whole, are the combination into one easilymade machine, of low price, of thevarious machines used in soap-making, and the production of a single apparatus which can be used,

either in whole or in'part," in all of the many processes. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which* Figure 1 is a vertical elevation of the entire machine, a portion of the side thereof being removed in order to show theinterior construe tion. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation through the line :v w; Fig. 3, a top view of one of the mixing-blades removed.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The table or frame a and its legs or standards b b constitute the support of the machine, and may be of a construction suited to its location. c, thegwrought-iron shell, riveted togetherin the usual manner, and strengthened by the angle-iron band d at its upper edge, is

riveted to the double bottom c and f. The said bottoms e and j', separated by the width of the action of the blades is upward. The down-V ward current about the sides is produced by the rushing of the fluid to the center tosupply that which is drawn up by the blades. If the said blades are revolved in a direction opposite to the curve, it is evident that the blades will act centrifugally and the current be reversed, as hereinbefore stated.- 'llhe portions Aof the bladesaway from the shaft are nearly vertical, thus (if revolved in the direction of the curve) drawing the iiuid to the center,

vwhile the portions of the blades next the shaft,

being inclined, relieve the pressure on the center and allow the escape of the fluid in an upward direction.

h is the emptying-blade, curved as shown in Fig. 1, and forces the soap out of the gate i if revolved in the direction away from its curve.

The aforesaid blades may be made either of wrought or cast iron, and may be attached to the shaft by keys, set-screws, or other suitable means. 1

The emptying-gate c', hinged at j and operated by thel lever k, is faced with rubber or other packing to secure a water-tight joint.

The lever lo, hinged at a` point in front of and below the center of the said gate fi, is curved at the extremity nearest the gate, as shown in Fig. l, in such a manner as to act as a cam when the handle is depressed, thus obviatin g IOC the necessity of a weight or other means of confining the said lever in order to get a tight joint. When the handle is raised a chain connecting the said gate with the said lever may be used to open the gate; or a staple passing over the said cam end, rmly attached to the said gate, may be used in its place. If the lever 7c is carried beyond its hinge and allowed to rest against the machine, its gravity is sufficient to keep the gate open.

A cock may be screwed into the lower part of the said gate on a level with the bottom e for the purpose of drawing out lye or other liquids.

tached bystandardswhich are bolted to the said bridge on, which is in turn bolted to the flange of the said angle-iron band d. The bottom of the shaft turns in the brass bushing q, as shown in Fig. 2, which is screwed into the flange r, which in turn is riveted to the bottom e. The flange s is screwed on the said bushing q, and is separated by the rubber packing t from the bottom f. The aforesaid flanges and bushing also serve to keep the bottoms from spreading when under the pressure of steam.

Into the lower end of the bushing g is screwed a reducing-bushing, to which the three-way cock u is attached by a nipple, for the purpose of introducing steam or liquids or drawing out lye, as the occasion may require.

The shaft lis drilled longitudinally at its lower end to a short distance above the bottom e, at which point several holes are drilled at right angles to the said shaft, meeting the aforesaid longitudinal hole. This is used as the direct passage,in connection with the bushing q,from the cock u to the interior of the machine, for the purpose as described above.

The shell c is surrounded by the coil of pipe t, which may be used in heating by steam or in cooling by water the sides of the tank, as occasion may require. The exterior of the coil may be covered by a casing of wood or other suitable material, to prevent loss of heat by radiation.

Feed-rolls w may be attached or geared to the shaft p for the purpose of feeding or grinding into the tank various materials used in soap-making, or may be used to operate in connection with the sharp-edged mixer-blades g in reducing and cutting soap scraps when used as a remelter.

An upright scraper-blade, y, may be attached to the end of the emptying-blade h, and by an arm at its upper end to the shaft l, for the purpose of freeing the sides from an accumulation of soap materials.

Flanges are fastened to or holes drilled and tapped in the bottom f for the purpose of attaching the necessary steam and water pipes.

The said pipes may be connected directly with the jacket-coil or not, as desired.

The modes of operating the machine differ with each separate process. One or more of the various attachments or ,appliances may be used. Thus for a mere mixingor crutching the rotating blades alone may be used. To obtain a boiling, the introduction of live steam may be employed, either with or without the aid of one or both jackets; for a remelting, as described above, &c.

It is obvious that there may be many modiications in the detail construction of the machine without departing from the spirit of my invention. The bottoms may be concaved instead of flat, as represented in the drawings, and the gate may be under the shaft, in which case the soap would be discharged by a centripetal-acting blade instead of centrifugal, as shown, 8vo.

It is often desirable in certain processes vof soap-making to manufacture the soaps under the pressure of live steam. This can readily be accomplished by the use of my bereidde scribed machine. Should it be found desirable to use it in this way or for this purpose, it would be necessary in the construction of the machine to make the shell c somewhat stronger by either increasing its thickness or by the use of iron bands, in order that it may be able to withstand the pressure of steam from within. A steam-tight removable cover would have to be used. The said cover could easily be at tached to the angle-iron band d and bridge m by the use of swing-bolts or other suitable devices, rubber packing beinginterposed to make the joint tight. A stuffing-box of ordinary construction should be used about the shaft l on the said bridge m.

I do not confine myself tothe application of the above-described apparatus for soapmak ing alone. It is obvious that it can be used in mixing, boiling, or manufacture of various articles, such as sugars, paints, clay, oils, &c.

I am aware that prior to my invention that class of soap making machines known as crutchers have been made in which a vertical rotating shaft provided with blades has been used to produce agitation; also, that some have been provided with jackets for the use of water or steam. I therefore do not claim such a combination, broadly; but

What Ido claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a soap-making machine, the combination of an upright cylindrical jacketed tank and Huid-inlets, horizontal driving-shaft with feed-rolls attached or geared thereto, vertical centrally-located bridge, supported rotating shaft therein, and curved centripetal or centrifugal acting mixerblades attached thereto, with the centrifugal emptying blade or blades and gate, constructed in the manner as and for the purpose substantially as described.

2. In a soap-making machine, the shell c, surrounded by the continuous pipe-coil jacket IIO 'v and covering thereon, with the double bottom ef riveted to the said shell and strengthcned by the bushing and flanges, as described. 3. In. a soap-making machine, the shaft p and feed-rolls w, for the purpose as described.

4. The angle-iron band d and the channeliron bridgem and step n, with an upright cylindrical tank, constructed as set forth.

5. The curved sharp-edged centripetal and centrifugal acting mixer-blades g, with the upright rotating shaft 1, constructed in the manner as and for the purpose described.

6. Averticalrotating shaft, centrifugal emptyingblade h, attached thereto, and scraperblade y, with the emptying-gate and cam- 15 lever k, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the bushingqwith the flanges 1' and s and packing t, constructed in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described. 2o

8. The shaft l and holes or passages z, combined with the bushing q and cock u, for the purpose described.

ROBERT FREELAND.

Witnesses J. M. GHARNOCK, J. H. HARRISON. 

